Toronto police have released surveillance footage of two suspects who allegedly stole a service dog from outside a west-end fast food restaurant early Sunday morning.
A Teacup Chihuahua named Princess was secured to a railing outside a McDonald’s at Bloor Street West and Ossington Avenue at around 2 a.m. while her 28-year-old owner went inside to get a coffee.
After about 10 minutes, the owner Ashley-Victoria Martineau noticed her dog was missing and all that was left behind was her leash.
One day later, police released security camera footage of two suspects – a man and a woman – standing outside of the fast-food restaurant during the time of the incident.
Police say the two suspects are “responsible for her (the dog’s) theft.”
The pair is seen in the video talking to each other while holding bicycles on the sidewalk.
After watching the surveillance footage, Martineau told CTV News Toronto she did not recognize the two people seen in the video.
“I was so glad that she was safe,” she said. “It was a relief, but again hard at the same time to know that the suspects were still out there and that they could potentially do it again.”
Martineau told CP24 on Sunday that Princess is a registered service dog that helps her with Post-Traumatic Street Disorder and depression.
Princess was returned to Martineau “safe and sound” at around 9 p.m. Sunday after a family located the dog wandering alone on King Street West and took her to a nearby police station.
“It wasn’t the suspect themselves who gave her back so [the police] are still searching for the suspects currently,” Martineau said.
Martineau added she was very happy to have her dog back after 20 hours apart.
